Marine 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson

Died September 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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25, of Virginia Beach, Va.; assigned to 7th Communications Battalion, 3rd Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Sept. 8 while supporting combat operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick and Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson Jr.

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Enjoyed outdoor activities

The Associated Press

Michael E. Johnson and his wife once made a deal: He would teach her to surf if she taught him how to snowboard.

That love for nature is what brought Johnson to Oregon for college and kept him there.

“He was all about doing stuff outdoors, traveling around, hiking,” said his uncle Greg Chase. He grew up in Virginia Beach, Va., working at surf shops and swimming pools. But Johnson eventually was lured to Oregon State University while visiting friends and family in the state.

His wife, Durinda, also loved to be active, and the two married in an outdoor ceremony in 2007. They moved to Okinawa when he was stationed there, setting up a home and adopting a couple of pets. Then he was sent to Afghanistan.

Johnson, 25, was killed Sept. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, during an insurgent attack.

He had graduated from OSU in 2006, where he was in the Marine ROTC. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant the same day he graduated.

“He was just a hard-working, dedicated kid,” Chase said.

Johnson is survived by his wife; parents; a twin brother, Dan, and brother Steve.